Kola Ologbondiyan: PDP winning streak will be repeated in Kogi

Ahead of Kogi State governorship election scheduled for November, Kola Ologbondiyan, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wednesday, boasted that the winning streak of the party in the just concluded governorship elections would be repeated in the state.

Ologbondiyan, who spoke at the crucial meeting of Kogi PDP critical stakeholders held at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja, added that the party would win the November 2019 governorship election in Kogi State and salvage the state by enthroning a people-oriented government in the state.

This is just as the leadership of the party assured that the Presidential mandate, which Nigerians freely gave to Atiku Abubakar on February 23, would be retrieved at the tribunal.

At the crucial meeting, the leaders of Kogi PDP resolved to forego all personal ambitions and work together for the interest of the party and the people ahead of the election.

Ologbondiyan said the party has the support of the people of Kogi State, “who are now looking up to it to rescue the state from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under Governor Yahaya Bello, adding that the PDP cannot afford to fail them.”

He added, “As we all know, our people have gone through pains, pangs, acute poverty, hunger, dehumanisation, brutalisation, job losses, untimely deaths, suicide and all sorts of anguish as a result of the misrule of the incumbent APC government.”

“The people of Kogi State are therefore looking up to the PDP for a rescue and we cannot afford to fail them. We must therefore not allow anything to demoralise us as the winning streak, which our party displayed in Imo, Adamawa, Bauchi, Osun, among others, would be repeated in Kogi State by the grace of Almighty God.

“In this race, we must also bear in mind that we have the support of the people. Kogi State has always been home to the PDP notwithstanding the temporary setback of the APC. We must therefore prepare ourselves, stand with the people and salvage our dear state from the pangs of misrule. Our people yearn to move forward and we must give them that leverage which they earnestly seek.”

Ologbondiyan reiterated the already expressed commitment of the party National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure free, fair, transparent, rancor-free and credible processes for all activities toward the governorship election so as to throw up a candidate that is collectively acceptable to the people of Kogi State.

“Our great party will not engage in any form of imposition but as usual will strictly adhere to demands and fulfillment of our internal democracy processes,” he stated.

Stakeholders at the meeting include former Kogi governors, Capt. Idris Wada, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, former deputy governor, Arc. Yomi Awoniyi, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, Chief Patrick Adagba, federal legislators from Kogi State, state PDP Chairman, Engr. Uhotu, as well as other critical stakeholders drawn from all the local government areas of the state.

Adesunbo Onitiri, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Lagos Central Senatorial candidate in the last elections, has flayed the Federal Government’s order on Nigerians to surrender their guns before June 1. He said the order should be reconsidered in view of the growing insurgency and kidnappings in the country.